Guns and Ammo: A European Perspective
A European perspective on guns and the right to bear arms, examining the differences in historical context and gun laws between the U.S. and Europe
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Introduction
Hello, dear readers and loyal followers.
Today, we’re going to discuss a very popular, yet equally dangerous, topic — guns and the right to bear arms.
As we all know, the United States has one of the most liberal laws when it comes to gun ownership, rooted in the world-famous Second Amendment:
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
This is the most frequently quoted sentence by advocates of the right to bear arms. You’re bound to hear it from any American citizen who owns a gun and supports this right.
Today, I won’t dwell too much on whether this amendment is good, bad, outdated, or not. Although many believe it is outdated, I will instead attempt to express the perspective of a European — me — who isn’t accustomed to seeing guns everywhere.
Here, I should mention that I am from Croatia, Europe, and the concept of witnessing weapons or daily gunfire isn’t entirely foreign to me. As a teenager, I spent four years in the war that raged across the Balkans, specifically in my homeland, from 1991 to 1995.
But I don’t want to discuss war times when seeing weapons everywhere was expected. Instead, I want to focus on peaceful times, when such occurrences are far from normal for us.
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I often come across videos or articles on the internet where people advocate for the right to bear arms. One particular argument caught my attention. It suggests that many who carry guns do so because of America’s violent past.
They frequently mention the time of westward expansion and the daily conflicts with Native Americans, followed by the fight for independence from the British, and eventually the Civil War, during which guns were essential for self-defense.
Another argument often made is that Europe didn’t experience such a violent history or have a need for firearms for self-defense. However, this argument doesn’t hold water, as those who make this claim clearly do not understand the violent history of the European continent.
Europe has experienced very few periods of complete peace, starting from Ancient Greece and Rome, which once occupied the entire known civilized world, to the Dark Ages, where conflicts between states were almost daily occurrences, and continuing into the modern era with the First and Second World Wars.
The wars against the Ottoman Empire in my own country lasted around 500 years and were among the bloodiest conflicts in the Balkans and Europe. At that time, everyone carried some form of weapon for self-defense.
https://cryptonftworlds.blogspot.com/2024/09/trump-once-again-in-crosshairs-of.html
As you can see, Europe arguably has one of the most violent and war-torn histories, full of conflicts, making it quite normal until recently for people to carry swords, daggers, or pistols for protection. Not to mention that European roads were full of bandits, robbers, and criminals for thousands of years, preying on travelers.
Despite this violent past, unlike the U.S., Europe eventually decided to adopt new rules on gun ownership and leave matters of protection to law enforcement.
Of course, we also have laws regulating gun ownership here, and in some cases, individuals can carry weapons if they meet certain conditions. However, this is more of an exception than the rule, and very few people apply for such permits.
From what I can see, there is ongoing debate in the U.S. about whether better personal firearm control should be introduced. It’s likely that, over time, the opinion in favor of restricting or banning the right to bear arms will prevail, but this will certainly not happen smoothly.
The U.S. is a young nation that is still building its history and has time to learn from its mistakes.
Here in Europe, it’s terrifying and unimaginable to see the shootings that occur in American schools due to overly liberal laws and easy access to guns, especially by children. Here, children don’t have access to weapons unless they obtain them illegally.
I believe that weapons are best left in the hands of law enforcement and the military and that individual citizens shouldn’t need them. However, the U.S. should make its own decision about this issue. That decision must be made democratically, not imposed by anyone, as is the norm in civilized, democratic states.
That’s my take on this issue. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
https://cryptonftworlds.blogspot.com/2024/09/trump-once-again-in-crosshairs-of.html
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Greetings and until my next article!
Neo77
